No. 8 Gauchos Lose Overtime Thriller at No. 7 Long Beach State, 9-8

Sep 22, 2007

Sept. 22, 2007

LONG BEACH, Calif. -
The eighth-ranked UC Santa Barbara men's water polo team continued a tough early-season trend on Saturday at No. 7 Long Beach State's Mini-Tournament. After opening the season at 10-1, the Gauchos have lost five straight matches, the last four coming by one goal margins. On Saturday, UCSB lost 9-8 in double-overtime to the 49ers.

Long Beach's Clint Wilson scored with just two seconds remaining in the second overtime period to lift his team to the 9-8 win.

UCSB led for most of the match. The Gauchos were up 4-2 at half and 6-4 after three quarters, but the 49ers rallied for three third quarter goals to one for Santa Barbara, tying the score at 7-7 and sending the game into overtime.

After the teams went scoreless through the first overtime, the Gauchos took the lead on an Ross Sinclair goal at 2:07 in the second OT. For Sinclair, it was his second goal of the match. Long Beach, however, did not give in, as it tied the score on a goal by Jake Kinne, his second of the contest, with less than one minute remaining.

The 49ers squelched the Gauchos' final scoring chance and then won the game in the final seconds as Clint Wilson put home the game-winner with just two seconds remaining in the second OT.

Earlier in the day, in a match that does not count in their record, the Gauchos defeated Golden West College, 22-6.

UCSB will host its annual Alumni Match on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 12:00 p.m. in Campus Pool. The Gauchos will return to the pool for a regular match on Sept. 29, when it will play Loyola Marymount at Pepperdine.